Lift wire guide



Dec. 22, 1959 @555 EI'AL 2,917,752

LIFT WIRE GUIDE Filed May 1, 1958 INVENT'ORS John E Giese Hazel D.Thompson United States 2,917,752 LIFT WmE GUIDE John F. Giese and HazelD. Thompson, Jefferson, Greg. Application May 1, 1958, Serial No. 732,295 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to plumbing fixturesand more particularly to a toilet flush tank.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet flush tankvalve ball stem support that will effectively guide the ball valvebetween various operative positions during use of the flush tank andwhich will permit such movement of the valve ball stem without bindingor other interfering action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a guide for flushtank valve ball stems of the above type having a plurality of guideapertures, only one of which is used at any one time, so that the normallife span of the guide is substantially increased.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a flush tank valve ballstem support bearing the above objects in mind which is of simpleconstruction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive tomanufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a ball stem support guide made inaccordance with one form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a guide made inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing a modified form ofconstruction; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 4.

Referring now more in detail to the present invention and moreparticularly to Figures 1 to 3 thereof, a toilet flush tank valve ballstem support ill made in accordance with the present invention is shownto include a substantially horizontal base 14 having a vertical riserplate 15 secured at one end to the forward end of the base andterminating in a rearwardly extending flat 16. This flat is twisted toprovide a vertical web 17 that is further formed to provide an annularportion 18 with a free end or terminal web 19 in spaced apart facingrelationship with the web 17. A bolt 20 extends through the terminal webiii and intermediate web 17 for threaded engagement with an associatednut 21, whereby rotation of the bolt is operative to effect relativemovement between the Web 19 to vary the diameter of the annular portion18.

The flat l6 and base M are both provided with a pinrality of spacedapart apertures 23, 24, respectively, the apertures of the flat 16 beingvertically spaced above the apertures 24 of the base. In actual use, thedevice is secured upon the overflow pipe 13 with one set of apertures23, 24 in axial alignment with the normal path of movement of the stem11 of the tank valve ball 12. This adjustment is made by loosening thebolt 20 and rotating the device it} upon the overflow pipe 13. With theparts in proper assembled relationship, as shown in Figure 3, theapertures 23, 24 in the flat and base members slidably guide the stem 11for the aforementioned vertical movement between the operating positionof the ball valve 12. However, when one set of apertures 23, 7

24 becomes excessively enlarged, it is only necessary to 2,917,752Patented Dec. 22, 1959 "inc slightly rotate the device upon the overflowpipe 13, to bring another set of apertures 23, 24 into axial alignmentwith the stem 11 for slidably receiving it therethrough. It will thus berecognized that the useful life of the device is substantially prolongedproviding the additional sets of apertures for alternative use as theybecome worn.

It has been found that the entire device can be preferably constructedof glass or copper so as to provide the non-corrosive features, as wellas the necessary rigidity for satisfactory operation.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, a. slightly modifiedform of construction 25 is shown to be constructed from molded plasticmaterial in which an enlarged head 27 is provided with a plurality ofspaced apart apertures 28 that are arranged along an arc of a circlehaving a center concentric with the center of an integral annular ring33 associated therewith. A bifurcated shank 3% intermediate the head 27and ring 33 has spaced apart legs that define a slot 31 therebetween. Abolt 34 ext nds through the legs of the bifurcated shank 36 intothreaded engagement with a nut 35. It will thus be recognized that byadjusting the bolt 34, the size of the space 31 between the legs can beadjusted to correspondingly adjust the diameter of the ring 33,whereupon the device may be satisfactorily clamped to the overflow pipeof the flush tank. The operation of this embodiment of the invention issimilar to that hereinbefore described in connection with Figures 1 to 3of the drawing, except that this unit can be constructed of moldedplastic material. In addition, as each of the apertures 23 through whichthe valve stem may be extended becomes worn, it is only necessary toinsert the valve stem into another one of the apertures 18 and rotatethe device about the longitudinal axis of the overflow pipe in order tobring the next used aperture into axial alignment with the normalmovement of the valve stem to prevent any binding action that wouldotherwise interfere with the normal movement of the valve stem and valveball.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

A toilet flush tank valve ball stern support comprising alaterally-extending horizontal base portion, a vertical riser platesecured at one side to the forward end of the base portion and extendingupwardly therefrom, a laterally-extending horizontal flat portionvertically spaced from and overlying the horizontal base and extendingrearwardly from the upper end of the vertical riser plate, saidhorizontal flat portion having an extension that is twisted throughninety degrees therefrom so as to provide a vertically-extending webportion, an annular clamp portion extending from thevertically-extending web portion and adapted to be extended about adrain pipe, said annular clamp portion having a terminal web portionfacing the vertically-extending web portion, bolt means extendingthrough said vertically-extending and terminal web portions and servingto tighten the annular portion upon the drain pipe, said horizontal baseand flat portions having sets of aligned apertures for slidablyreceiving the ball valve stem lying in an are about the axis of thedrain pipe and adapted for alternate use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,239,903 Goetz Sept. 11, 1917 1,552,921 Gower Sept. 8, 1925 2,632,181Kass Mar. 24, 1953

